Set Sail For Love
by iLoVeCaRDcApToRsAkuRa
Summary: When Asuna kidnaps the prince, she thinks she's found the answers to her problems. The fearless pirate leader can be rich beyond her wildest dreams and forget the rumours that haunt her past. But when her solution becomes her problem she's left with a dilemma and a crew doubting her loyalty. BRAND NEW ANIME xD Excited for this one so let me know what you think :)
1. What Kind of Loot is He?

Okay so pleeeeaassseeeee don't kill me! I know I haven't updated YMMH yet and I know I keep promising I will but things have been off the charts crazy. I have now got my act together and that will be top on my list. However, this is a story I wrote ages ago to mourn for the completion of SAO (literally cried like a baby for an hour). I wasn't expecting to love the anime so much, but I do and so will add it to my writing list.

ALSO, as a heads up I just got done watching The Familiar Of Zero (also a tear-breaker) so there will be a one shot with a difference to celebrate that :)

Next on my list is Attack On Titan (Gary I hope youre happy =.=) followed by Free! though I doubt there will be aby fanfictions alongside those.

Who cant wait for February Fair Tail? *shouts* MEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!

Anyways, let me know what you think and if anyone is a fan of any of the anime's mentioned hit me up in PM xD

* * *

Set Sail For Love

Chapter 1

The crew looked down at their latest catch with distaste. Their captain usually bought in piles and piles of loot, topped off with all the women they could desire. Not scraps of cloth and rope. Certainly not a man. And a scrappy one at that. Yet here he was, coughing and spluttering on the deck amongst what they could only assume was rope that would be of use to them.

"Captain..erm…what is this?" Yui, the gorgeous first mate asked confused. Though she was female, and young at that, the crew adored her strength and confidence and she was renowned for being the speaker of the group.

Captain Asuna turned graciously to look at her crew. Beautiful, intelligent and sly as a fox, she was renowned throughout the seas for being the ruthless "White Lightening". Most men, on land and sea, feared her power and most women respected her command, longing to join her crew. Of course, the crew were of mixed gender. Strong, bulky men made the harder jobs a breeze, and were paid the best. Of course, everyone aboard The Flying Swordsman was sure to be paid well considering Captain Asuna's reputation. Gold was stolen on a daily basis, jewels were found as easily as water and of course the women. Most of the men aboard the ship were there for the women. Every week the captain would bring the men the finest women to do with as they wished.

However, this week, the women and gold were scarce. Asuna took a deep breath and smiled at her crew. "This, my friends, is our ticket to freedom. This is our chance to spend our days in luxury, sailing the seas or living on land. We will be free to do as we please!" the crew looked at her curiously, their interests spiked.

"But who is he?" one man called out.

"He" Asuna smirked "Is Prince Kirito, the heir to the throne" with that she raised her arms dramatically, causing the crew to cheer.

"We can ask for all the ransom money we want" one guy shouted.

"Money and ale and women galore!" another screamed.

"I can retire to a nice little cottage by the sea" Leafa, the ships cook, mused.

Asuna smiled joyously at her crew's response. Yes, they would be rich beyond their imaginations for sure. She looked back out at the ocean. Finally, she would be able to afford the resources to find him.

"Klein" she muttered to the breeze.

"Captain! He's awake!" Yui called out from bellow. Asuna rushed down to the deck, walking over to the body that was still in a heap where she had left it. Holding her sword out in front of her, she approached the body cautiously.

With slow, heavy movements the body slowly rose to a standing position. It turned, facing the crowd of people staring at it and shook its head with anger.

"Ah, Prince Kirito. What a pleasure it is to have you finally join us" Asuna mocked, causing her crew to laugh.

"Who are you?" the prince spat, his voice ragged from the fight he had put up that had left his stomach worse for wear.

Asuna bowed in mock respect. "I am the great Captain Asuna, and you are in the company of the most feared crew of all, The Flying Swordsman" The crew erupted into cheers once more.

The prince took in his surroundings and stood up tall and proud. Despite his rough treatment, he held onto his good looks that had made him well known throughout the land. The only child of King and Queen Kazuto, he was beloved heir to the throne and everyone knew it. Taking his thick black hair from his mother, deep grey eyes from his father and strong build from his training, the prince was gorgeous. Paired with his smart mind and excellent swordsmanship, he would one day make an excellent king.

"Asuna huh? So you must be the infamous White Lightening. I've heard of you" he spat, regaining his strength. "What do you want with me?"

Asuna laughed. "Oh come now your highness. You are a smart man. I'm sure you are aware of precisely what we want" the captain laughed.

"You won't get anything you bitch! I can fight you and escape!" the prince growled determinedly. Asuna merely laughed. Ablaze with anger, the prince summoned all his strength and charged at the captain, wielding a pipe. She easily dodged his attack, moving her feet delicately and causing the prince to fly into the rigging. Winded, he fell back and collapsed.

"Yui, throw him in the cellar. Let's see if a night with the rats will silence that mouth if his. And the rest of you set sail! We need to find a safe bay to anchor for the night" Asuna ordered, turning and walking to her cabin.

* * *

The stench had to be the worst part. Or the scurrying sounds. Or the damp. No, definitely the stench. He had been through all kinds of hell but the stench of the cellar made them all seem tame. As Kirito fought the urge to gag yet again, he replayed the events that had led to him being in this damned place.

When he was out riding to the forest for a weekend of solitary training, he had run into bandits. Whilst they had seemed dim-witted and useless, the prince had been caught off guard and ultimately captured. Blinded, beaten and taken to some far off place, he had awoken aboard a ship filled with confused looking men and intrigued women. And then of course, he had met _her_. Rumours about White Lightning had not missed the palace. Fearless in the face of danger, it was said she could be bested by no one. But the rumours had failed to properly depict how beautiful she was. Her golden, flowing hair held the light beautifully as it cascaded down her slender body. Her sumptuous breasts were like soft globes of heaven, suiting the curves of her body. In another time or place, the prince would have believed her to be worthy of a princess.

"NO!" he mentally scolded himself. "Now is not the time. I need to get better so I can kick her ass and get out of here" he sighed. "Think Kirito think". At that moment, he heard the door click and a woman entered the small space.

"Get away!" Kirito yelled, standing offensively.

The women held out her hands in defence. "Please don't hurt me. I'm here to help you" she muttered. "I'm Sakura, the ship's doctor. The captain has asked me to take a look at your injuries" she explained.

Kirito laughed "Help me? As if I believe that! Why would your captain want me healed?"

"She's not all bad. If you're on her ship, you're staying as fit as a fiddle. That's her rule" the woman said with a smile. "She doesn't want you to suffer. Now let me look at those wounds. And don't bother trying to use me to save yourself" she added, noting his wayward looks "there are plenty more doctors where I came from"

Reluctantly, the prince allowed the doctor to look over him and bandage him up. When she was done, she looked at him and said "You remind me of my son, Blaine. He's a feisty young thing. I don't get to see him much, what with being at sea and all, but the captain always sends care packages home to make sure he knows mummy loves him. She's a good person, despite that reputation of hers"

Kirito shrugged. "I'll believe that when she lets me go" he spat, looking away. The doctor sighed and left him to his thoughts.

* * *

Asuna paced her cabin restlessly. They had the prince. That had been the easy part. Next came the bargaining and spreading the news to make sure the King and Queen knew exactly what they wanted. Death threats would be made, tension would be high and potentially it could be a tiring few months that were ahead. She needed to play this cool.

However, if the prince was going to be on board for a while, she would treat him as a member of her crew. She may be ruthless in battle, but Asuna believed even prisoners should be allowed to walk around the ship, eat with the crew and not suffer unnecessary pain. That is why she had sent the doctor to see to him. Although, according to Sakura's report, he had been none too appreciative. However, his wounds had been seen to and he should be healed in a matter of days. That at least gave her some pleasure.

Prince Kirito. Capturing him had been child's play, but conversing with him was going to take every ounce of patience she had, that was for sure. She needed to know how far they would be able to push their luck with the royals. Would they try to imprison her crew? It was important to smooth these questions out before they settled on a ransom.

Sighing, Asuna lay back on her bed. "Man, he's going to be a pain in my ass" she muttered. Then with a smile she added "I'll show that no good prince the value of hard work" and with that she settled into a slumber.

* * *

Updates will be once a week, seeing as I already have this written up. It's a little different to my usuals, and not really linked to the SAO anime, but hopefully you'll enjoy it. Let me know thoughts/ideas in R+R :)


	2. Tie Me Up

As promised here is the weekly update of the story. Tuesdays shall be SAO day. Have a fair few essay deadlines coming up so writing productivity will be slow, but ill do my best.

As usual let me know what you think :)

* * *

Chapter 2

The following morning, work began as usual. Leafa began preparations for breakfast, the men hauled the anchor, and scrubbed the ship clean and the women pitched in with quality checks and accounting. Asuna dressed once again in her white captain's gear and stepped on deck. The crew saluted and she bowed in response before everyone resumed their tasks. With a determined stride, Asuna walked over to the cellar and opened the door.

"Wakey wakey your highness." she teased, watching as Kirito slowly awoke.

"Still in this hell hole am I?" he muttered, looking up at her with puffy eyes. She laughed cruelly.

"Indeed you are. And you shall be here for a while yet. Now listen, whilst aboard my ship you will be treated like one of the crew. As such, you begin work today." she responded.

The prince laughed "I'd rather rot." he spat. Asuna sighed.

"As you wish." she groaned, once more locking the cellar door and returning to her duties.

"BBBRREEEAAAAAKKKKFFFAASSSSTTTTTT!" Leafa called out in a sing song voice, grabbing the attention of every crew member and the prince alike. It was then he noticed the beautiful aromas that had begun to seep through the cellar door. Bacon, porridge and eggs filled his senses and his stomach gave a loud protest. He was hungry and he knew it.

The crew gathered around barrels that had been pushed together like a table. They sat whilst Leafa dished up the food and Asuna offered around small loafs of bread. She looked over at the cabin door, sighing. They all ate heartily, talking about their plans for their share of loot. Asuna took a few small bites, but knew she could eat no more until _all _her crew members were fed. Standing, she walked back over to the cellar.

"Look, I don't care if you don't want to be here. Come eat with us. I promise I'll put you straight back in here after." she said, looking down at the prince. He was about to refuse, when his stomach spoke on his behalf and he gave an embarrassed groan. Standing, the prince followed Asuna and took a seat between the cook and a hefty man he certainly didn't want to get on the wrong side of.

"Ah Prince Kirito!" Leafa called out. "Some bacon?"

"S..s..sure." he stuttered, aware that several pairs of eyes were on him.

"I'm Leafa, the ships chef. I'll be serving you all your meals whilst your on board, so if you have any requests, feel free to let me know and-

"NO!" Asuna shouted, standing from her place at the head of the makeshift table. "He will eat what everyone else eats. No special treatment." she mumbled.

The prince turned and offered an apologetic smile to Leafa. "I'm sure whatever you make would be wonderful Leafa." he smiled, causing her to blush as she handed him his plate. The crew died back down into their usual morning chatter, leaving Asuna to reluctantly eat.

When breakfast was over and the place had been cleared, Asuna set the crew to their various duties and turned once more to Kirito.

"Cellar?" she asked impatiently.

Kirito shook his head. "I'll work. What do you want me to do Asuna?" he answered bitterly.

"It's captain to you, and you can start by cleaning the deck." she replied, throwing a mop and bucket in his direction. Begrudgingly he set about, scrubbing the deck.

As he got stuck into his work, he watched the other crew members. The way they moved, the coordination they had could rival that of his army at war. Each member had a role to fulfil, but they worked in sync to get the tasks done. It truly was a sight to behold.

"Hey, new kid!" the bulky guy from breakfast called. "You've been mopping that same spot for the last ten minutes. Get it together before the captain sees you." he muttered, shaking his head. "You don't wanna know what she'd do if she caught you."

"Caught him doing what?" Asuna said, appearing behind the guy.

"Ah...erm...c...captain." he stuttered, standing straight.

"Kirito. Are you giving my crew trouble? Because we don't do trouble on my ship." she spat, circling him slowly.

"No I am not." he said, glaring at her. "I'm cleaning. What more do you want?"

The bulky guy winced in front of him and several members of the crew had stopped to see the commotion.

"How dare you speak to me like that!" she yelled, sensing her authority being put under threat. "I am your captain."

Knowing he had stepped out of line but his pride still fighting back, Kirito shot Asuna a dirty look back. "Do I look like I care who you are? I am the prince. You can lock me in a cellar and make me clean your ship but it won't change the fact that when I'm released, you'll be put in prison for the kidnap of a royal!" he shouted. "Now I'm doing what you goddamn asked, so leave me alone woman!"

Several of the crew gasped. The bulky shook his head. No one called the captain woman. That was well known. Kirito was now also going to learn that fact. He watched as her jaw snapped shut and her eyes became slits of venom.

"Don't you ever call me woman." she said, her voice low and icy.

Seeing he had hit a nerve and unable to stop himself, Kirito smirked. "Why? That's what you are isn't it? A woman? Although, with those thighs and that awful chin hair of yours, perhaps I'm wrong." he laughed.

Asuna made no reaction. Turning very slowly on her heels, she caught Yui's attention. "Do it." she muttered. Making no haste, Yui gathered up rope and buckets, concern etched on her face. Everyone began to move toward the buckets as Leafa appeared looking solemn and filling the buckets with something vile. She cast a sorry glance at Kirito before scurrying off back to the kitchen.

Asuna turned back to Kirito. "You. Will. Pay." she said in a whisper before raising her hand and striking Kirito across the face. The ship fell still. The wind seemed to have stopped. Nothing moved for several moments until she once again spoke.

"Yui." she said, before turning on her heels and disappearing back into her cabin. Yui hurried over to the prince and tied him up.

"I'm sorry it has come to this." she said quietly to him.

"Why? So you tied me up. So whaaaaaaaaa-!" The prince screamed as he was hoisted over a beam and made to hang upside down.

"Now!" Yui commanded, and to his horror the crew began to pelt him with whatever was in the buckets. Fish scraps, rotten food and waste came hurtling at him whilst he hung there defenceless. The vile smell made him gag and although the crew looked on at him with pity, their attacks remained constant until the buckets were emptied. Then he hung there. The crew resumed their duties, Yui went to fetch the cleaner and he just hung.

"Shit."

* * *

Asuna sat looking out the window in her cabin as tears flowed down her face. She didn't even bother to wipe them away, it wasn't worth it. Captain Asuna was the most fearless, cutthroat fighter there was, but the memories of time gone by would always reduce her to this mess.

Woman. A word she loathed. Not because of its meaning or because it signified her gender. Oh no. Asuna hated the word woman because it always brought her memories of him. He who had hurt her, made her feel like nothing but a play toy. He who had abused her to the verge of death, healed her, only to then beat her when she was better. Asuna shivered. Nothing could erase those memories, but that didn't mean she had to have them brought back by her hostage.

"Damn that asshole." she muttered, thinking of what the crew were doing to the prince. It was harmless really, but a punishment she had designed when she had very first became a pirate. Another member of the crew had called her a woman and subsequently ended up with a mouth full of three week old cabbage. Since then, it was well known that you do not call Asuna a woman. Or else.

A knock on the door alerted Asuna to reality. "Come in." she called out, wiping away her tears quickly and smoothing out her clothes. Yui tentatively opened the door and stepped inside.

"Buckets are empty captain. He's just hanging now" she said quietly, looking at the floor. It made Asuna smile how quiet Yui was at times, even though she could speak out for the whole crew. She supposed it was because Yui felt in debt to Asuna. She had raised her after she had been found abandoned in one of the houses she had stolen from. Asuna had known then and there that she couldn't leave the young girl alone.

"Right 'o Yui." Asuna smiled "Better go tell him what's what." She stood and exited her cabin with Yui following close behind. The stench assaulted her too and she made a face. Kirito looked a little worse for wear. He had been covered by the crew, and being upside down had made all the blood rush to his head.

"C.c..captain," he spluttered as she approached him. "L..let me d..down."

Asuna smirked. "Have we decided to apologize your highness?" she asked.

"I..I..I. I'm sorry." Kirito spluttered, attempting to sound genuine but failing miserably. Still, Asuna felt a little bad.

"Good good. I believe you have a deck to clean." slashing the rope that held him, Asuna watched as Kirito tumbled to the deck in a pile of mess. "Get to it"

* * *

Oooooooh Asuna be mean xD


	3. Police Invasion

It's that time of week again! Updateeessssssssssss xD Afraid I have a list of deadlines this week so this is all I have to offer but I hope you'll forgive me for that.

I've had lots of positivity for this story so i'm glad and I hope I don't let you guys down :)

Enjoy!

* * *

Chapter 3

A few days later Kirito believed he was finally getting the hang of being on board The Flying Swordsman. The crew seemed to be getting along better with him, and he was happy to get on with the tasks he was given. He'd soon learned that Leafa could make the most delicious meals on the most basic of ingredients and that thoroughly impressed him. However, today was Friday. And Friday meant loot day.

"Alright men" Asuna called. "This week's steal is pretty minor to keep us going but the usual rules apply. No violence unless necessary. No stalling with the women either, I'll handle that. And no booze. Got it?" she asked, looking at them all sternly. The crew nodded and began preparing.

"Kirito" Asuna said, addressing the prince. "You'll stay here with Leafa and Sakura. The men will be hungry when they return."

"No! I'm coming too. I want to see what you do, how you treat people!" Kirito began.

"So you can escape? Ha! I think not. You'll stay here and that's an order" she muttered, storming off.

Kirito huffed and made his way to the kitchen where Leafa was busy at work. She set him to peeling the potatoes and they waited as the men piled out onto land. They worked together well, ensuring there was plenty of food.

"Damn that Asuna," Kirito muttered "No doubt she's stealing from some poor old woman."

Leafa looked up. "The captain? Steal? Oh no! You've got it wrong. It's all a li.." Leafa covered her mouth quickly.

"What is it Leafa?" Kirito asked.

"I..I'm not supposed to say" she muttered in response.

Kirito gave her his most disarming smile. "It isn't right to lie to the prince Leafa."

"It's just…Asuna never steals." she began. "The money we take, it's the crews. When the King, your father, allowed for higher taxes, people's money was taken for stupid things. Asuna targets the tax men to take back stolen taxes. That's all." Leafa finished, blushing.

"I had no idea." Kirito mused.

"You mustn't let her know I told you!" Leafa said panicked. Kirito smiled.

"I won't. Thank you for telling me." he replied. "They sure have been gone a while."

Just then, Yui burst into the kitchen.

"Leafa, emergency evacuation! The Police are about! We need to hoist the anchor quickly and call Sakura, the men are getting hit!" she shouted. Leafa sprang into action leaving Kirito trailing after them.

The police? Hope and relief sprung inside of him and picking up a sword he ran off toward land.

"Kirito!" Yui called after him, but it was too late.

* * *

"Retreat men!" Asuna yelled as more and more attacks were fired. She swung her sword as yet another attack came at her from behind. Things were bad. They had just about finished with the tax man when The Police had struck. Forced to fight, her men had put up a brave front but they were severely outnumbered and retreat was the only option.

"Hey! Hey police! Over here!" A voice yelled from behind her. Asuna swung around to see Kirito running towards them.

"Kirito what the hell? I told you to stay on the ship!" Asuna yelled, but Kirito ran past her and addressed her attackers.

"Thanks goodness." he said "Authorities. I am Prince Kirito, heir to the throne. Please arrest this woman, for she is my captor. She should be jailed for her crimes."

Asuna looked shocked. "Kirito you idiot. They aren't the police, they're The Police, a pirate gang known to murder other sailors" she growled at him, knowing that The Police would now forever be on their trail. She didn't have time to yell, for one guy came charging at them and slashed at Kirito's arm. He yelped out in pain, but managed to remain standing.

What happened next seemed like a blur to Asuna. She was fighting a second man when they were suddenly surrounded by bad guys. It seemed a little bleak, until she heard the yelps. Then turning to look at Kirito, she watched as he single handed took down four men, giving them an opening. He grabbed her arm and ran back to the ship. Yui had already organized a head count and with those two being the last, they were able to get away quickly.

Panting, Asuna assessed the damage. "Sakura!" she called out, drawing the doctor to her. "What's the damage?"

"Three hit bad, the rest minor scrapes. I think I can handle it" she replied, wrapping a bandage around one man's arm.

"Alright." she nodded. "I'll take Kirito and fix him up. Get those that can handle it to set course for Garma Island. We need to lay low for a while." she ordered before pulling Kirito toward her cabin. Once inside, she sat him in her chair and gathered some medical supplies.

"You really are bossy at times." Kirito mused as he watched her. She came to sit in front of him with a bowl of warm water, some cotton and a bandage.

"Forget that" she said "You're an idiot. What were you thinking running into the field like that? You could have been killed!" she muttered, setting about dabbing the dirt and blood from his arm. Kirito hissed through the pain.

"I heard they were called the police. I thought I could…"

"Alert them and be freed? Ha! They'd have chopped you up for lunch. And why? You'll be freed soon enough. Only now we gotta watch our backs for pirates." she muttered, rolling her eyes. When the wound was cleaned she expertly began to bandage him. "And never mind that, what was with those mad sword skills? When we first caught you I didn't think you could slice an apple let alone a person." she exclaimed, a hint of admiration in her voice.

Kirito smirked. "I am a prince you know. I've had years of training. You just happened to catch me off guard." he laughed.

Asuna laughed too. "No way! I could totally match you in a duel" she smiled, moving around before wincing.

Kirito stood. "What is it?"

"Looks like I've been hit too" she said "Nothing to fuss over" but Kirito was already leading her to the chair he had previously sat in. "I can handle it." she grumbled.

"I don't care. Let me see." Kirito muttered. Asuna touched gently along her arm and winced as she felt the cut along her shoulder. Kirito wasted no time in sliding down her clothes to expose her skin. It was creamy and soft, like a peach and her feminine scent assaulted him. He forced himself to focus on her wound, a small cut. Like she had, he dabbed at it with moist cotton.

"Tell me Asuna. What exactly do you plan to do with the ransom money anyway?" Kirito asked, working on her wound. "Need a new sword?"

Asuna humphed. "The money will be a major help to the crew. Leafa needs a new pot and many of the men have things they want too." she babbled.

Kirito smiled "I didn't ask what they would be doing with it. I asked what YOU planned to do with it."

Asuna sighed. "It's stupid" she muttered. Kirito looked up at her.

"Nothing you say or do is stupid." he replied earnestly.

"I want to look for my brother. He went missing years ago and I haven't had the funds to look for him before now." she replied. "Sometimes I think Klein is here with me, watching over me." she sighed.

Kirito thought for a moment. "Klein?" he asked "Around 25. Brown hair, blue eyes with a scar…"

"Across his left cheek" Asuna finished "You know him?"

Kirito nodded. "He came to join my army. Trained really hard and made his way to the top. He was by my side for five years." he replied, smiling fondly.

"Was?" Asuna asked, sadly.

Kirito nodded. "We lost him in battle last year" he looked away. "I'm so sorry Asuna."

She fell silent for a while. Kirito continued to dab at her arm.

"So you can fight and heal huh?" Asuna said after some time, her voice soft and slightly shaky. "And here I was thinking you were useless." she joked.

Kirito continued to dab softly. "I can do things you couldn't even imagine." he muttered, his voice coming out slightly husky. Asuna visibly shivered, her eyes coming up to meet his. He held her gaze, promise and something more within them.

"I'd like to begin to imagine" she whispered, her body moving closer to his.

His eyes locked on her lips as she subconsciously licked them. "Maybe you won't have to." he whispered back, leaning into her. Their lips were millimetres apart, their breathing mingling. Asuna felt her heart beat speed up and though she knew this was wrong, she hadn't wanted something this bad in a long time.

"Ccccaaaappptttaaaiiiinnnn. Island in sight!" Yui called out, startling the pair. Asuna pulled away and stood abruptly.

"I'd better…" she began.

"Yeah." Kirito agreed. With that she left, leaving him alone.

* * *

Oooooh the tension is forming xD Tehe


End file.
